Poi
Poi is a performance art employing a ball or balls suspended from a length of flexible material held in the hand and swung in circular patterns. Poi originates from the traditional performing arts of the Māori people of New Zealand, and has since developed many forms enjoyed worldwide as a hobby, exercise, or performance art alongside juggling and other forms of object manipulation. Poi in Māori culture In the Māori language poi can mean the physical object, the choreography or the accompanying music. In Maori culture poi performance is practiced primarily by women; although it is sometimes said that it was first used by men to develop wrist flexibility for the use of hand weapons -such as the club-like patu, mere, and kotiate recent academic study has found no evidence of this. Māori poi come in two forms: short, with strings equal to the length of the fingertips to the wrist; and long, with strings equal to the distance from fingertips to shoulder. The art includes storytelling and singing choreographed to poi routines, and developed in conjunction with other disciplines- such as waiata a ringa, haka, and titi torea (included in kapa haka performances). Modern adaptations include the performance accompanying the 1980s hit song "Poi E". Traditional poi construction Poi were once most commonly made from harakeke (Phormium tenax) and raupō (Typha orientalis). Flax was stripped and scraped to provide the muka (the inner flax fibre) which is twisted into two strands to make the taura (cord) as well as aho (ties). A large knot was tied at one end of the cord, around which the core was formed from the pithy middle of the raupō stem. Dampened strips of raupō stems were then wrapped around the ball to form the covering and tied off around the cord. The other end of the cord was often decorated with a mukamuka- a tassel made from muka formed around a smaller knot. Poi piu were smaller tassels occasionally affixed to the base of the poi ball. There were a wide variety of regional, tribal and personal variations on construction and design. Another variety is poi tāniko, where the outer shell is made of finely woven muka using a pattern based on a fishing net; these sometimes include yellow dyed strands, typically forming a diamond pattern known as Te Karu ō te Atua (the eye of God). In the late 19th Century and the first half of the 20th Century a cottage industry developed manufacturing large numbers of raupō poi for sale to tourists, especially in the Rotorua area. Miniatures such as buttonhole poi and earrings were among these. Today, most performance poi are made from modern materials due to longevity and availability, with cores of foam or crumpled paper and skins of tulle, other loomed fabrics, or plastic. Tassels are often of wool. Raupō poi wear quickly with frequent use, and some wetlands — the source of flax and raupō — have been drained, with many of the remaining wetlands now being conservation reserves (although traditional harvesting is, generally, allowed by law). Poi tricks Typically, poi spinners start out learning simple moves and then gradually add on in complexity, while learning to transition smoothly between different moves or classes of moves. Many find it helpful to practice spinning their poi to music in order to keep a smooth cadence or rhythm. There are several basic classes of trick. The two poi are usually spun in parallel planes, and can be spun in the same direction (weaves) or opposite directions (butterflies). Moves such as stalls and wraps can change direction of one (or both poi) to change between these two classes. Split time and split direction moves are possible, and some of the more difficult moves require a considerable amount of manual dexterity, coordination and forearm strength to accomplish. Weaves Weaves are a class of trick based around the "basic weave". Considered by many poi swingers to be one of the staple moves, the basic (two-beat) weave is often one of the first tricks learned. The basic weave is called "two-beat" because each poi spins two times in a cycle: once on each side of the body. Reverse weaves, behind the back weaves, and 1 1/2-beat, 3-beat, 4-beat, 5-beat, 7-beat, 9-beat, 12-beat and other weaves are also possible. Butterflies The butterfly is a simple trick in which the hands are held close together in front of the spinner and the poi spin in opposite directions flat to the spinner, so that the poi cross at the top and bottom of their circles. This move can be done behind the head, behind the back and extended to any number of moves; there are as many variations on the butterfly possible as there are for the weave, including polyrhythms and hybrids. Some skilled performers perform this with 4 poi (two in each hand) to execute a double butterfly, a move also executed with meteor. A few practitioners do this with six poi balls so that a third one-footed butterfly can be performed with the other foot. However, the majority of poi performers consider such a trick to have no real use, as there's no real way for the performer to use such a thing as part of a dance whilst keeping the fluidity of movement intact. Wraps A wrap is a move where one or both poi are wrapped around something, most typically part of the body, to change the path or direction of spin. There are two types of wrap: basic or recoil wraps wrap around the target and then bounce off, so that the poi ends up spinning in the opposite direction to which it started from; and thru-wraps which wrap around a moving body part, so that the direction stays the same but the poi changes the path it is traveling along. Typical targets for a wrap are the arms and legs, although any body part is suitable - one of the more dangerous places to perform wraps is around the neck. Double-neck thru-wraps are perhaps the most dangerous move that can be done with fire poi, due to the risk of the poi tangling. Flowers Flowers are a visually impressive set of moves in which the poi spinner fully extends their arms and moves them in circles around the body while spinning the poi. When done in time this gives rise to a series of loops around a large circle, which look like the petals of a flower when viewed from the side. Flowers are sometimes called compound circles. Further tricks Isolations refer to a class of moves where the poi handle is also spun in a circle. "Perfect" isolation occurs when the poi handle and poi are moving in the same circle, and can usually create distinctive synchronized moves (e.g. cranks). Hyperloops are where the poi ropes becomes entangled (twisted up) and then untangled, keeping the ends spinning the entire time. Advanced spinners are also able to spin their moves in places such as behind the back and under the leg. Safety Depending on their construction, poi can strike the user (or bystanders) with enough force to cause bruising or minor injury. Metal parts on fire poi have a high heat transfer coefficient and may burn on contact; the wick has a lower coefficient and is less likely to cause burns directly -but can spray or spread fuel. Costumes from non-flammable or flame retardant materials, such as leather or treated cotton, are preferred when employing fire poi; synthetic materials tend to melt when burned, resulting in severe burns to the wearer. Fire poi use requires a safety regime to address the risks of setting fire to the user, bystanders, or the surroundings. Typical elements of such a regimen include a sober, rested, and alert spotter who has access to a ABC Dry Chemical fire extinguisher for putting out material and fuel fires (water-based extinguishers may spread oil fires), a damp towel or woolen/duvetyne fire retardant blanket (for extinguishing burning clothes and fire toys), a bucket of water (for the eventuality of out of control fires), and plastic wrap (for protecting burns that require hospitalisation Typically, a metal container (located away from the performance area) that can quickly be sealed (so as to be airtight) is used as a fuel dump; with the lid in place, fuel fires may be extinguished. Paint cans are commonly used for this purpose.